Contact switches play an important role in the operation of automated devices including the control of lighting. Contact switches are used to monitor the position of devices, such as glove compartment doors, refrigerator doors and other devices. In a typical glove compartment design, a contact switch is used to control an interior light of the glove compartment. In more advanced applications, a glove compartment switch may report back to a central computer that alerts a driver of an open compartment door.
One challenge faced by designers of contact switches is the reliability and form factor of the switches in relation to the mechanical device being monitored. Conventional contact switches have been plagued with reliability issues including providing false positioning signals, which result in improper operation of the controlled device. Further, conventional contact switches have been intrusive to the mechanical design of the devices monitored to the extent that the designs must be manipulated to accommodate the contact switch.
With more and more devices in the market requiring automation, the need exists for a contact switch that is both reliable and form fitting to the application it is designed to serve.